There are usually just two times when most people use the Save As... function found in most any application. Those times are when:
- they initially save their work, and
- when they want to make a new file based off of the one they have and wish to save under a new file name. (I am aware that most database applications do not have a Save function. I forget whether FileMaker Pro has a Save As... function.)
Hitting simply Save (Command-S/Control-S) is so easy! Most Apple applications now set it differently. There is a Save command and a Duplicate command. The Duplicate command will actually spin off a new copy of your file into a new window, leaving the original intact. This answers the need for #2 above.
The Save command will function just like the old Save As... when condition #1 is being met. If you have just created a new document, and after starting to enter your information you choose Save, you will get the initial dialog for naming your file and determining where you will store it. For Apple and other OS X apps, you can get to Save As... by holding down the Option key as you click on the File menu.
All this is probably way too simple for your current experience on a computer, but I had to start here just in case you are fairly new to computers.
Many third party applications, especially those from Adobe and others related to graphics and production art, still retain the Save As... function in the File menu.
As I said above, the easy thing to do is always choose Save while working on your file. But did you know there are some reasons why it may be wise to choose Save As... occasionally?
When you initially save a file, the computer writes the file as a complete unit, with all the parameters of the document, settings for font, colors, margins, etc. and whatever data you had in the document itself. A nice, neat package.
Now, as you work and Save, the additional information you enter into your document gets written into your file, but not necessarily in the most efficient place. The new data gets written at the end of your file, and there the latest information gets written as you continue to Save your file. When you open your file again, the application looks at the file, finds the initial parameters of your document and writes that into memory, then as it finds new information at the end of the file, it reads it and places it into your document and into memory. So, even though this takes only extra milliseconds, it is not the fastest read of your file that you could have.
Not only that, but it may not be the safest way to keep your file. Let's say there is just one little glitch in saving your information the last time you chose Save. All your file information is there, but at the very end of your file, something gets corrupted or miswritten, and potentially you have introduced a problem in your file. It may open, but it may not behave as you expect at some certain point. Then again, it may not open at all.
When all you use is Save, another thing happens; your file gets larger. Naturally, your file will get larger as you add more information into your document. However, when you use Save over and over, and as you write all that data in chunks at the end of your file, it gets larger than it should. It can be 20% larger or more, depending on the type of file it is. This is because the file is being written so inefficiently.
The answer, of course, is to use the Save As... function every so often. When you choose Save As..., you will get the Save dialog, but you can ignore giving your file a different name, and keep it in the same location. When you click Save/OK, your computer will ask if you want to replace/overwrite the file saved in this location, which is, of course the one you have open right now. Go ahead, and the computer writes your file completely in one whole package, just like when you saved it the first time. This is also called a clean save.
In the examples below, you will see the info for one file saved several times by just choosing Save. Next to that is the same file after having chosen Save As..., or after a clean save. You will note right away the difference in file size.
So there you have the reasons to use Save As... more often than not. Keep up the good work!
The Save command will function just like the old Save As... when condition #1 is being met. If you have just created a new document, and after starting to enter your information you choose Save, you will get the initial dialog for naming your file and determining where you will store it. For Apple and other OS X apps, you can get to Save As... by holding down the Option key as you click on the File menu.
All this is probably way too simple for your current experience on a computer, but I had to start here just in case you are fairly new to computers.
Many third party applications, especially those from Adobe and others related to graphics and production art, still retain the Save As... function in the File menu.
As I said above, the easy thing to do is always choose Save while working on your file. But did you know there are some reasons why it may be wise to choose Save As... occasionally?
When you initially save a file, the computer writes the file as a complete unit, with all the parameters of the document, settings for font, colors, margins, etc. and whatever data you had in the document itself. A nice, neat package.
Now, as you work and Save, the additional information you enter into your document gets written into your file, but not necessarily in the most efficient place. The new data gets written at the end of your file, and there the latest information gets written as you continue to Save your file. When you open your file again, the application looks at the file, finds the initial parameters of your document and writes that into memory, then as it finds new information at the end of the file, it reads it and places it into your document and into memory. So, even though this takes only extra milliseconds, it is not the fastest read of your file that you could have.
Not only that, but it may not be the safest way to keep your file. Let's say there is just one little glitch in saving your information the last time you chose Save. All your file information is there, but at the very end of your file, something gets corrupted or miswritten, and potentially you have introduced a problem in your file. It may open, but it may not behave as you expect at some certain point. Then again, it may not open at all.
When all you use is Save, another thing happens; your file gets larger. Naturally, your file will get larger as you add more information into your document. However, when you use Save over and over, and as you write all that data in chunks at the end of your file, it gets larger than it should. It can be 20% larger or more, depending on the type of file it is. This is because the file is being written so inefficiently.
The answer, of course, is to use the Save As... function every so often. When you choose Save As..., you will get the Save dialog, but you can ignore giving your file a different name, and keep it in the same location. When you click Save/OK, your computer will ask if you want to replace/overwrite the file saved in this location, which is, of course the one you have open right now. Go ahead, and the computer writes your file completely in one whole package, just like when you saved it the first time. This is also called a clean save.
In the examples below, you will see the info for one file saved several times by just choosing Save. Next to that is the same file after having chosen Save As..., or after a clean save. You will note right away the difference in file size.
So there you have the reasons to use Save As... more often than not. Keep up the good work!
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